Pregnancy Observations, for the Lighthearted

As of late, with my body slowly morphing before my eyes, I have been reflective on some of the funnier and surprising happenings that go along with pregnancy. Not only am I noticing them in myself, but also with other people as well. Here's a short list:

• My belly button has a new home...OUT! WAY out there (as with the rest of my mid-section). Lovin' it! I would post a picture, but some might find it disturbing. HA!
• It is getting more difficult to conduct activities that require me to bend over (e.g., paint my toenails, tie my shoes, help patients get up/down, feed/wash the dogs, etc.) with my ever-expanding belly acting as a barrier between me and the object(s) within my reach. I guess this means that I'm going to have to invest in some pedicures and pet grooming in the next several months :)
• Some of my friends/family members/co-workers think I should be refraining from physical exercise (e.g., volleyball, climbing a step-ladder, lifting boxes, etc.) because of the"condition" I'm in. People, pregnant women can still walk/run (if they want)/move just as we did before...it just may take us a little longer to get there and we may be a little out of breath! I know, I know...I need to be cautious, but I don't want to be lazy! But at least I get out of picking up heavier things, so Brett has taken over the chore of getting our 40-50 lb. dog food bags lately.
• Persons feel compelled to touch pregnant women's bellies...I've heard this for quite some time, but I could not believe that random strangers would actually do this. Now I can say that this is very true. Of course, I don't mind the attention, just not when I don't know the person that well!
• Oh, and I think this even more now than EVER before...swimwear is overrated! I think I will stick with muu-muu's this summer thank you very much! Oh, and I'm diggin' the maternity duds (no zippers is ingenious)!

Of course, with all these amusing observations, there are some serious ones, too (not too serious, don't get worried)...

• Baby bedding is expensive! If you compare it yard for yard, cute animal print by print, it costs so much more than other bedding (even at 20% off)! But, it is cute, and that's justification enough I guess.
• Registering for a baby is somewhat of a daunting task...there are SOOO many items and "necessities" that we found to be unnecessary and somewhat hilarious, too (the "Pee-pee Teepee" and the "Hooter Hider" for instance). Don't get me wrong, it was a lot of fun picking out the big and small items, and it made us even more excited for our little guy to get here! But, as we walked from aisle to aisle at both stores, we kept asking ourselves two questions: "Our parents didn't have this stuff for us growing up, and we turned out okay. Right?" AND "Where on earth are we going to put all of this stuff?!"

And then there are the oh-so wonderful things that I've really enjoyed about being pregnant :)

• Buying baby items for Jameston and preparing his room
• Seeing Brett excited and so involved in getting ready for our little guy. I know he is going to make a great dad!
• Eating whenever, whatever I want (the recent faves are Italian food (I'm still on the cheese kick), ice cream, and the very random tootsie rolls (who would've thought)
• Sonograms are the best invention ever!
• Oh, and people are very courteous once they see you are preggers. Strangers give kind smiles, open doors, start up conversations and ask questions like they've known you forever. It's a wonderful world!
• Feeling your baby move is the COOLEST, most awesome feeling in the world! Knowing that he's thriving and kicking (and grooving to music...we've been to some great concerts lately) is so incredible! Words can't describe it well enough...

To celebrate my "Ode to Pregnancy" post, here is a pic of me at 26 weeks:

As mentioned earlier, my belly has really popped over the last month or so. I have gained about 20 pounds so far, and we still have a little over 12 weeks to go. Goodness--I think we may have a big boy on our hands!

Oh, and the nursery is getting closer and closer to completion. Brett has painted the walls, chair rail, base boards, etc., we replaced the door handles/stoppers and wall plates, and he put together the crib and dresser last weekend. It's taking shape, and I love it! I'll be sure to post pics as soon as it's all done.